Favor
by Riza's Cupcakes
Summary: Two years after the Promised Day, Riza shows up at Roy's door clutching a slip of paper, but he's holding onto something much more delicate.


**A/N: **Fixed the glaringly obvious mistake. I have no idea how those paragraphs ended up in here twice, but this is the last time I write a fic at 4am before a flight.

* * *

It seemed as though Roy was always waiting these days. Waiting for reports to land on his desk, waiting for another promotion, and now, waiting for a knock at the door. Maybe it had been childish of him to slip a note into Riza's purse when he sent her to get coffee, but she had told him she was planning to do a bit of shopping and it was easier than guessing when she would be home. Then again, there was always a chance she had missed it, and he got up to make a call, nearly knocking a rook off the table as he did. He stopped the piece from rolling and stood it back in its square.

A few short raps startled him as he picked up the phone and he went to the door as quickly as he could without revealing that he had been thinking of nothing but her arrival. She hadn't even changed out of her uniform, and she looked a little tired, but she smiled when she saw him and he noticed the crumpled slip of paper clutched tightly in her hand. "Come in," he said warmly and she stepped past him, bending down to remove her boots.

"It's good to see you outside of work, Roy," she said, his name sounding so much more comfortable in her mouth than his rank. "I've missed you."

"It's only been a week," he protested, but her words sent a surge of guilt through his heart all the same. He allowed himself a smile and pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her short hair. "I missed you too."

After a few moments, her arms fell to her sides and he kissed her forehead gently before releasing her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Not really."

She started to remove her jacket but Roy held up a hand to stop her. "You might want to keep that," he warned.

She raised an eyebrow. "Is there a draft?" she asked. "I haven't felt one here before."

"No, that's not it." He scratched the back of his neck, surprised at himself for feeling nervous. "I just thought we could play chess. To decide who pays for dinner."

Folding her arms across her chest, Riza shook her head. "You're going to lose on purpose, aren't you?" she said, a trace of amusement in her voice.

"Why would I bother? You know as well as anyone that I can lose without trying." He cocked his head and smiled at her until she gave in, arms dropping to her sides as she went to the table and sat down in front of the black pieces. She crossed her legs and watched him carefully as he slid into the chair across from her. He pushed a pawn forward and Riza followed suit.

After a few moves, she captured one of his knights, and when she looked up from depositing it beside the board, she seemed surprised that the sweater that had been draped around his shoulders now hung from the back of his chair. "We're playing that kind of chess, are we?"

He shrugged. "Only if you're okay with it."

"I suppose I am," she agreed, removing her own jacket as Roy took her bishop.

"Should we up the stakes as well?" Roy set aside one of her pawns.

"Might as well. You're the one who's going to pay up, after all," she said, tugging her brown turtleneck over her head and dropping it on the floor.

He noticed that, despite the fact she had worn her uniform, she must have taken time to change, because he recognized the lacy, red bra as the one he had casually mentioned was his favorite several months earlier. Concealing a smirk, and trying desperately to concentrate, he frowned at the board. Riza deftly collected one of his pawns and he tried to think of a response as he unbuttoned his own shirt and tossed it aside.

"Have you changed your mind?" she asked, one hand positioned to unclasp her bra as she waited for him to move.

"What? Oh, right." He shook his head, trying to clear it. "Winner gets a favor. How's that?"

Without raising her head, she looked up at him. "I suppose I can live with it," she said playfully. "Although I don't think it's exactly fair."

"What do you mean?" he said, indignant.

"Either way, you win."

She was right, of course. She usually was, especially when it came to him. There was no fooling Riza; it was one of the things he loved most about her. After taking his turn, he held out his free hand and she took it, squeezing his fingers affectionately. Her hand was warm and steady around his, and the contact comforted him in a way few things did. On the nights he woke in a cold sweat, afraid that he had really, truly lost her on the Promised Day, he needed something like this. He needed to feel that she was still by his side, still soft and warm and breathing. He had gotten his eyes back, but she still bore a thin scar on her neck and he felt guilty every time he looked at it. He had promised never to hurt her, and yet he was responsible—in one way or another—for every mark on her body.

"What's eating you, Roy?" she asked, concern written across her face.

He moved a piece, not sure how to respond. He hadn't asked her here to drudge up the past, and she knew his demons as well as he did; they shared most of them, after all. When Riza cornered his king on the next turn, she tugged her hand away from his leaned over to retrieve her shirt. She pulled it on and looked at him expectantly, arms folded across her chest once again. "I want you to move in with me," he said at length.

Whatever she had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth slightly for a moment before speaking hesitantly, "You know I can't. It's bad enough that we meet up like this under the guise of official business. Living with you would open a whole new can of worms and it might cost both of us our jobs."

"I don't see why it should. Grumman's been trying to get me to marry you for years, so he wouldn't say anything. And if people talk? Well, you _are_ my bodyguard. We could get a small house. Have our own rooms for appearance's sake."

She gave him a sad little smile. "When you become the Fuhrer President," she promised. "Then the public will accept that you need a bodyguard. Before that, I'll spend as much time as I can with you, but I can't live here." Pushing her chair out from under the table, she stood and went to his side. Her fingers brushed his face gently for a moment before she put her arms around his neck.

Burying his face in her chest, Roy took a deep breath. She must have put on a bit of perfume when she went home as well; she hadn't smelled like lilacs at Headquarters.

"Enough of this," she said, shifting to sit in his lap. "I believe you owe me a favor."

"Don't you want to eat first?" he asked, putting his arms around her waist.

"I'm not hungry yet," she said. "But if you are, I have something that might tide you over." A sultry smile spread across her face. Grinding herself against him, she leaned in for a rough kiss. Her hands tangled in his hair and her tongue prodded at his lips as he closed them; the mint on her breath made his head spin as he moved one hand beneath her knees. Groaning slightly, he got to his feet, holding her against his chest as he carried her to his bed. He pulled away from the kiss and dropped her onto the covers, yanking her pants and underwear off in one swift motion.

She scooted back and rested her head on his pillow as he settled between her legs, kissing the insides of her thighs as he caressed her hips. Fingers brushed against his own as he made his way up, enjoying Riza's quiet whimpers of pleasure as much as the sensation of her skin beneath his lips and between his teeth as he nipped at it. Tongue replaced teeth as he reached the fork of her legs and he was delighted to find she was already wet. She gasped in surprise and wrapped her legs around his back, ankles locking to draw him closer.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked, looking up.

"Please don't stop," she breathed, tangling her fingers in his hair. "Feels good."

He wondered if she could feel his smile against her skin as he kissed her. She tugged at his hair in response, a small shiver running through her body. He felt her shift and looked up again, confused.

"Bra," she gasped, elbow jutting out at a strange angle as she wedged her hand between the bed and her back, trying to unclasp it. He was impressed at how easily she had gotten her shirt up; he could see red lace at the bottom and he moved his hands away from her to pull himself up. With his assistance, she got the shirt over her head and her bra unclasped. He pulled it away from her arms and flung it aside. He leaned down to kiss her, running his fingers through her hair. Her lips responded eagerly to his, parting as he ran his tongue across them.

She raised her arms over her head and sighed with pleasure as he pulled away, looking up at him with half-closed eyes. His lips curled into a smile as a surge of affection rushed through him. He shifted to kiss her cheek, her jaw, her neck; and she shuddered when his lips brushed over the thin scar there. Holding them there, he buried his nose in her neck and took a deep breath. And another. The air he exhaled across her sensitive skin made Riza tremble and he closed his eyes. He would never be able to erase the suffering he had caused her, but he could do his best to bandage it with pleasure and with the love that she so deserved, even though he could only express it in secret. In stolen glances when they were alone in his office, in private moments like this that were so few and far between that he cherished them all the more.

She squirmed beneath him and he lifted his head to see the confusion in her eyes, now wide open. It wasn't fair to keep her waiting. He ran his lips across her body, crawling backward until he resumed his position between her legs. This time, she tucked her knees up and over his shoulders, feet crossing behind his neck. She shifted her hips, settling deeper into the covers. A tiny whimper escaped her, so soft that Roy barely heard it, and she grasped his hands, twining her fingers through his as he pleasured her with his tongue.

She gasped something—maybe his name—as her entire body shuddered. He continued until she relaxed, legs untangling and falling to the bed on either side of him. Looking up, he saw that she was breathing hard, chest rising and falling as she tugged at his hands, urging him to join her. Propping himself up on his elbows, he moved to her side, and as she released his hands, he pulled her into his arms, falling onto the pillow beside her.

"I'm glad you came over," he said, holding her closer, one thumb rubbing a knot of scar tissue as though he could massage it away.

"Me too." Hooking one leg over his, she gave him a tired smile.

Roy reached up to smooth her sticky hair. "Did you want to take a nap before round two?"

"Round two?" she asked, eyes suddenly alert.

"And dinner. Whatever you want, I'll have it delivered. You won't even have to get out of bed."

"That does sound nice," she said wistfully, snuggling closer to him as she moved her arm out from between them to brush the backs of her fingers across his cheek. "It's a little late for a nap, though."

"I guess so," he said, looking past her to the window; the orange glow of a streetlamp framed the curtains. "Maybe we should just call it an early night after we eat."

She nodded, hair tickling his cheek. "Just give me a few minutes to decide." Her voice sounded less sleepy now, and she nuzzled his cheek gently before kissing it. He clutched her tighter to him, wondering how he would ever let go, and as she pulled back to look at him, he had a feeling she was asking herself the same question.


End file.
